


Whispers In The Night

by bainel



Series: Summertime (And The Livin' Is Easy) [2]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Folklore, Funfair date, lilith just can't have a moment of quiet without some demon interrupting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 03:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20668931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bainel/pseuds/bainel
Summary: Lilith turned around, letting go of Zelda’s hand, her eyes scanning the whole scene. The children on sugar rush running around pathways, screaming and laughing. Their parents shouting after them to be careful. The people at the stands, performing for their audience by praising whatever game they were responsible for. Loud music, loud voices, loud laughter all around them. The whole scene seemed normal. And yet the prickling sensation at the back of her neck did not go unnoticed by her.





	Whispers In The Night

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what to tell you, guys. I was drunk through the majority of writing this (again). It might not make a lot of sense for all I know.  
Lilith and Zelda's relationship is kind of a background here, but it is there, I swear!  
Let's all trust Drunk Grey and hope she did a good job because I do not have the strength to proofread. *awkward finger guns*
> 
> This is a follow-up to The Kupala Night. If you haven't read it, I recommend you do before you read this one.

The queue to the Ferris Wheel was moving at an agonizingly slow pace. She should feel annoyed and yet... She could not help the big grin that was spread on her face. Happiness inflating her insides like a balloon. 

She glanced at the woman on her right side. Eyes glowing in the colorful lights surrounding the funfair. Red hair swept by the summer wind. Clad in a flowy sundress, so different from every other outfit Lilith had had the pleasure to ever see her in. Zelda Spellman was a sight worth watching. Like a painting before which one could spend hours at a time. 

After the summer solstice, their friendship has… Changed. There has always been a bit of sexual tension between them, that flirtatious note tinging every conversation, yet after the Kupala Night, they started tiptoeing around each other. Until one night Lilith has had enough.

_ They were in Zelda’s office at the Academy, discussing one thing or another on the topic of church. Lilith was lounging on one of the chairs with her feet on the desk. Her eyes followed Zelda as she moved around the room. The way her hips swayed with each step. The way her dress hugged her figure. The way her hair framed her face. The way her brow knitted as she spoke while looking for some ancient book on one of the shelves. _

_ "How about a date?" She interrupted Zelda mid-sentence. The redhead turned to her, her mouth agape, with her eyebrow raised. _

_ "What?" _

_ "A date." Lilith took her feet off of Zelda’s desk and stood up. She moved carefully to where Zelda was standing with her mouth still slightly open. She took step after step as a predator would, just before pouncing on its prey, never taking her eyes off of the woman. _

_ "What about it?" asked Zelda, her voice hoarse as if her mouth had gone dry. Lilith smirked, stopping right in the witch's personal space. She reached her hand to pick a strand of red hair that has fallen out of its place. It was as soft as she had remembered from the Kupala Night. She put the hair behind Zelda’s ear and cupped her cheek, marveling at the softness and warmth of the skin beneath her palm. Lilith looked deeply into the green eyes, noticing little spots of a different color there… Was it blue? She lowered her voice as she spoke. _

_ "Would my High Priestess want to go on a date with me?" _

How did they end up at the funfair was anyone’s guess as good as hers. Yet she was happy they did. 

Zelda swore she didn't see why mortals were so taken with the funfair as there was nothing amusing about it, yet Lilith could tell she was enjoying everything they took part in. They made a little competition of shooting to rubber ducks. They laughed their heads off while at the haunted mansion, finding the costumes and jumpscares ridiculous. They even shared cotton candy. Lilith was certain they tried everything. Or everything except for the Ferris Wheel they stood in front of.

It was a lovely night. The sky was getting darker with each passing second. The stars were hiding behind the glow the whole field was basking in.

She felt Zelda moving a bit closer to her and she looked over at the witch to catch her eye but she was looking in a different direction. A sensation of fingers brushing over her hand. She looked down just to see Zelda’s hand cautiously reaching for her. Lilith took the cold hand in her own, observing the other witch discretely letting out a breath she seemed to be holding. Green eyes were on hers once more and she couldn't help a smile. The warmth spreading through her b-

Lilith turned around, letting go of Zelda’s hand, her eyes scanning the whole scene. The children on sugar rush running around pathways, screaming and laughing. Their parents shouting after them to be careful. The people at the stands, performing for their audience by praising whatever game they were responsible for. Loud music, loud voices, loud laughter all around them. Big smiles on the faces of the passersby. Fairy lights hanging all around, from every booth, above the pathways. Blinking happily at everyone who looked at them. The smells of different food and candy mixing together, creating a scent that was assaulting to the nostrils.

The whole scene seemed normal. Or as normal as mortal funfairs were. And yet the prickling sensation at the back of her neck did not go unnoticed by her. Chills running down her spine either. There was nothing in sight that could cause her to feel uneasy. Yet she did and she didn’t like it one bit. She felt as if someone had popped that balloon of happiness in her belly, leaving her with cold emptiness. The sensation of being watched did nothing to calm her nerves.

“Everything alright?”

Her eyes traveled to Zelda’s face. She was looking at her with concern and a bit of fear. Lilith just nodded but her eyes went back to roaming the place. 

Behind her, there was a bang of a plastic gun firing and a pitiful squeal of a rubber duck, and that’s when she saw  _ him _ . Her blood ran cold. Her breath caught in her throat. Hidden in the shadows between two booths - there he stood.

With the head of a bull-like creature sitting on the shoulders and the body of a muscular man. With his horns twisted, his eyes completely black, his nostrils flaring dangerously, his fists clenched. Piercing her with a steely gaze. When she had caught his eyes he smirked, baring his sharp, crooked teeth. A blink of an eye and space between the two booths was empty once again. As if Belphegor was never there in the first place.

“Lilith?” The blood rushing in her ears made everything sound muffled. Cold fingers brushed her arm shyly, bringing her back to reality. She turned her head to look into Zelda’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said with a fake smile on her lips. She reached for the witch's hand and let their fingers interlace naturally. "Thought someone called out my name, that's all."

She turned her attention back to the Ferris Wheel. The queue moved forward, and so did they. There was no need for alarming Zelda. After all, she could have imagined she’d seen one of the Seven Princes of Hell at the funfair. It could be a trick of the lights.

But of course, it wasn’t, she was certain of it. The question was, what was he doing here. What did he want?

_ “Whispers carry on the surface of the water, you know.”  _ she heard the voice of Rusałka in her head. Her memory going back to the summer solstice and the conversation she has had with the water nymph while strolling through the water of the lake.

_ “What do you mean?” she asked, frowning at the young woman. Something had stirred in her memory at the sound of her voice. But the memory was misty. Sill covered with the dusty veil of time. Yet she was sure she wouldn’t like whatever she was about to hear. _

_ “I overhear all sorts of things... Secrets, for example.” _

_ Secrets, she said. Secrets. And it clicked. Just like that, two pieces of the puzzle fit together in Lilith’s head. Gossips. Information. Passed from mouth to mouth, carrying around the realms, making its way to the ears of different demons, different creatures across the world. Oh, she knew how that world worked all too well. She used information as her weapon way too often for her not to know how deadly it could be. One whisper could cause an entire empire to fall. Whispers were the most valuable currency in Hell. _

_ Whispers carry on the surface of the water. She has heard that sentence before, once upon a different time. Rusałka has shared some secrets with her before. _

_ “And which secret would you like to share with me this time?” _

_ “The one that concerns you the most, your majesty.” Lilith did not like the barely audible sarcasm in the woman’s voice. She waited for the nymph to speak again but silence fell upon them.  _

_ They walked slowly through the cold water, creating ripples on the otherwise still lake. Toes inching deeper into the muddy sand beneath their feet with each step. The world around them was painted in the colors of the glorious sunset. Golden rays of sunshine making their way between the trees on the opposite lakeside. _

_ The last sunset of winter. _

_ A new beginning. And with a new beginning new troubles. _

_ If rumors were spreading around the realms it couldn’t mean anything good. But what sort of rumor could cause Ru to come to her? She wasn't one of her spies. She rarely involved herself with Hell's problems. The last time she did that it was because…  _

_ Lilith stopped walking and turned to look directly in the eyes of the nymph. Dread twisted her insides. She could feel every muscle in her body going tense. _

_ A smile danced on the young woman’s lips as she watched Lilith put two and two together, but it lacked any emotion. _

_ “Tell me.” _

_ “The Seven Princes are not happy with you,” said Ru. After a moment of hesitation, she added with a small smile. “Or should I say ‘Six’...” _

_ The Seven Princes of Hell. The worst scumbags Hell has ever seen. The highest bench of the aristocracy. The personification of the seven sins. One worse than the other, and at their head, Lucifer. The worst of them all. _

_ “I’m not surprised. Can’t really blame them for being unhappy.” _

_ She truly couldn’t. There were a lot of people, demons, and creatures, that were not happy with her right now. Locking up the ruler of Hell, the oldest of the seven brothers, inside of a young boy’s body did not help her make a lot of new friends in Hell. Huh, weird. One would think that getting rid of a tyrant would be a reason for celebration, but no. Hell didn’t deal well with changes. She was well aware of that, but so far no one had voiced their disapproval openly.  _

_ “I wouldn’t take it so lightly if I were you, Lilith.” There was a dangerous glint in the nymph’s eyes. _

_ “What are you hiding from me, Ru?” _

_ “One would say that the queen’s place is in her palace. Ruling over her faithful demons.” _

_ “Is that so? And which one of those faithful demons would say such thing?” _

_ “It’s not my place to point fingers,” Ru shrugged, as if unbothered by the whole situation. “It’s not my place to warn you either but… After all,” she grinned, reaching her hand to cup Lilith’s cheek, the flirtatious tone back in her voice, the tension gone completely ”once upon a time…” _

_ “Once upon a very long time.” She dismissed the young woman with a chuckle, moving away from her reach. _

_ “We had some fun.” _

_ “We did.” _

_ They really have had fun together. But it was all in the old days, back when Ru was still living and breathing mortal. Before she decided she wanted to live (or rather not to live) under the water. _

_ Rusałka’s eyes landed on something over Lilith’s shoulder and her face became serious once more. She kept her voice low and she spoke quickly as if she suddenly was in a hurry. _

_ “Keep in mind that the Six Princes, as well as many others of Lucifer’s old pals, are not happy with their new queen and would gladly see the return of the seventh brother.” _

_ And just like that, she disappeared. Leaving behind no traces except for a few ripples on the water. _

Was that it? Was Belphegor here to announce the aristocracy of Hell had called for her abdication? Or maybe the Sev-Six Princes weren’t even bothering with the formalities and protocols? That would be more like them. Was he here to tell her she had lost the throne and the crown because, upon her absence in Hell, a riot has bloomed? Was some unnamed, undeserving demon sitting on her throne right at that very moment? Or worse! Were they plotting behind her back to find a way to free their oldest brother? Her heartbeat sped up. She found it harder to breathe. No, no. Certainly not. She was being overdramatic. There had to be a different reason for his presence in this realm.

By the time she ended replaying the conversation with Ru in her head, Zelda and she were already seated on one of the benches of the Ferris Wheel. Her stomach kept turning on itself with nerves.

The Ferris Wheel started to lift them up in the air to let other people sit on the benches below them. As they moved higher Lilith stared into the distance. From this hight, she could see the whole field. She could also see the black mass that was the forest.

She felt weirdly detached from her body. She knew she looked calm on the outside, but her mind was still racing. Lilith still heard Rusałka’s words in her head. What if the princes of Hell were really trying to find a way to free Lucifer? She would have to visit her kingdom. She would have to make sure the enchantments, the curses, and the spells keeping Lucifer bound to that young warlock, Nicolas Scratch, were still in place. Maybe strengthen them up a little bit. Maybe add some more protection. Maybe relocate the body of Nicolas. Make sure no-one can find him. Hide him in the deepest circle of Hell. And while she would be at that, she could also make sure to remind her faithfull demons as to why exactly she was the only one strong enough to defeat Lucifer himself. Some public display of power was in order.

Once they were at the very top, and the wind became icy and unforgiving, she could feel Zelda’s eyes on her, bringing her out of the thoughts. She turned her head to look at the redhaired witch sitting beside her. Her hair got swept by the rushing wind. Her eyes, though glassy because of the wind, studied her with unwavering attention.

“You’re quiet,” said Zelda. “Are you sure everything’s alright?”

“Yes. Just enjoying the pretty view.” Lilith reached out to encircle Zelda’s arms with one of her own to give the shivering witch some extra warmth. She smirked, lowering her voice to a conspiratory tone. “Listening to the whispers.”

“The whispers?”

“Wind carries secrets with itself on its back. Secrets whispered into the night.”

She stared off into the distance. Yes, wasn’t that precisely what she should be doing? Wasn’t that what Rusałka has told her? Whispers carry. They swirl around in the air and if one listened close enough, they could hear the information they needed. Yes, Lilith should listen to the whispers. She should-

“What are they saying?” Zelda’s voice brought her back to reality. She was looking at her as if Lilith knew all the secrets of the world. Once upon a different time that would be true, she mused to herself. She used to be better at this. She used to know all the secrets of every person in the room. Always be not one, not two, but three steps ahead of everyone. She smiled wistfully.

“Don’t you hear them, Zelda? Listen.” Lilith pointed with her chin towards the black trees in the distance and Zelda looked in that direction. She had a look of such concentration on her face that Lilith could not help a smile. Oh, Lilith had a whisper of her own at that very moment, so she leaned closer to Zelda, her mouth almost brushing on the lobe of her ear as she whispered, “You’re adorable.”

Zelda’s eyes were on her once again. A pink tinge on her pale skin, eyes wide. Her eyebrows knitted and she shoved Lilith gently.

“You’re making fun of me.”

“Just a little bit,” she chuckled. She leaned in once more, cupping Zelda’s cheek with her hand. Her thumb running back and forth the witch’s cheekbone as she stared into her green eyes. “But you really are adorable.”

A moment of hesitation. Eyes wandering between lips and each other. A held breath. A silent question. A silent plea. All within a mere second.

Zelda reached out, stretching her neck out to meet Lilith’s lips with her own.

***

“I’ll make us some tea, that should warm us up a bit,” said Zelda as they entered the mortuary. The dark house was quiet. Sabrina was out with her mortal friends for the night, Hilda enjoying her time with that ridiculous shop owner. Ambrose… Well, who knew where Ambrose Spellman was nowadays.

Zelda made her way to the kitchen, telling Lilith to make herself at home. She followed the witch with her eyes until she disappeared into the kitchen, trying to hide the grin that spread on her face. 

Lilith moved to the parlor and sat in the chair beside the fireplace, looking around at the room. She noticed some framed pictures on the mantlepiece. A small wooden statue standing in the corner. Some trinkets here, some other there. An unfinished puzzle left on the small coffee table on the opposite side of the room.

There was the sound of a grandfather clock ticking loudly. The sound of Zelda moving around the other room. She could even hear Zelda humming some nameless melody. Lilith smiled to herself. The memory of Zelda’s lips pressed against her own merely twenty minutes before was still livid in her mind. She bit her lip. The inflating feeling of happiness was once more inside her belly.

It was quiet. Unusually quiet.

No sound came from the kitchen. There was no humming. No clattering of teacups. No ticking of a clock.

“Zelda?”

No-one responded. She could feel a knot twisting inside her. She stood from the armchair and slowly made her way towards the kitchen. Approaching every corner with caution. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end; cold chills running up and down her back.

She stepped slowly into the kitchen, her magic tickling her fingertips, spells rolling on the tip of her tongue. She saw Zelda. Standing beside the table in the middle of the room, pouring hot water from the kettle into the teacup. A soft smile playing on her lips. Frozen mid-motion.

And there he stood. Right behind her. Leaning against the counter beside the window. A horrible grin plastered to his face. He looked relaxed. As if he had every right to be there. As if they had planned this meeting.

“Your majesty.” He bowed his head a little. 

“Belphegor.” She smiled as if she was pleasantly surprised to bump into an old friend. “What’s bringing you up here?”

“This and that.”

“Just in the neighborhood?”

“Something like that.”

They looked at one another, sizing each other up. Lilith knew she had to keep her poker face on. She was a master of that game. An exceptional actress.

She looked around the room as if only now noticing the unusual stillness.

“Was it necessary to stop time?”

“I’d rather no one interrupts us.” His eyes moved to Zelda’s frozen form. A disgusting smile playing on his lips. “By the way, a pretty thing you’ve got there, Lilith. A pet of yours?”

“Something like that,” she repeated his own sentence; a smile firmly kept in place on her face by the sheer force of will. She could feel rage starting to bubble just beneath her skin. Her magic trying to burst out of her in little sparks. She should kill him. Right here and right now.  _ A pet _ . How dare he?

“I see.” His eyes were glued to Lilith’s face, waiting for her to break character. To betray her true emotions. As if he knew exactly what she was hiding deep within her heart. “Or perhaps she’s something else?”

“Belphegor, are you fishing for gossip?” Her laughter filled the quiet room.

“You know me. I’m nosy like that.” He shrugged. Too nonchalantly. “I haven’t seen you in a while.” There it was. The reason for his little visit. “Was wondering where’s our queen. What’s so important that she’s abandoned that throne she was fighting so fiercely to keep for her own.”

“Aw, I didn’t know you’d miss me.”

“Careful, Lilith.” The growl in his voice was clearly heard in the quiet kitchen. In bounced off of the walls, ringing in her ears.

The tension that filled the room was almost tangible. There were no fake smiles. No fake pleasantries. No pretending as to what this meeting was truly about. No dancing around the fact that this was a threat.

“Or else?” She shouldn’t have asked. Her stomach dropped when his big meaty hand reached out to gently stroke Zelda’s soft cheek. His meaning quite clear.

She should cut the hand that dared to touch what was hers. Zelda was hers.

_ Hers. _

Her throat tightened but when she spoke, her voice sounded completely unbothered.

“By all means, be my guest.”

He studied her carefully. His black eyes wandering on her face, looking for who-knows-what. 

“Perhaps not today.” He took his hand away from Zelda’s cheek and Lilith felt herself being able to breathe again. And just like he was gone; unfreezing time with his absence. But not without a final whisper inside her head. “Hope we’ll see each other soon.”

**Author's Note:**

> As I said, I don't know.  
Let me know what you think.  
Also, come talk to me on tumblr??? @bainelland


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